Dear Foreign Tourists,Welcome to the country of the roof of the world, and warmest greetings From the materially poor but spiritually rich people of Nepal!
As you very well know, a revolutionary People's War (PW) under the leadership of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) is raging in Nepal against a fascist monarchical state since February 1996. After getting
severe drubbing from the heroic People's Liberation Army (PLA.) in every battle front and losing almost all of the countryside to the advancing revolutionary forces, the fast crumbling reactionary regime headed by
hated Gyanendra Shah has imposed brutal military dictatorship under the guise of the so-called state of emergency in the country since November 2001. This last desperate act of the tottering regime to save its
skin hasalready backfired on itself and the mass rebellion in the form of the PW has intensified further in recent weeks and will reach a crescendo in the coming days. It is now obvious that two states, two armies,
two laws and two cultures, one representing a handful of moribund parasitic classes and the other representing the vast majority of the democratic and progressive working people, are engaged in life and
death struggle in the country. The United Revolutionary People's Council (URPC) is an embryonic Central People's Government Organising Committee in the form of a revolutionary
united front headed by the CPN (Maoist). We, therefore, deem it our duty to acquaint you with some of our basic positions and dispel some canards spread against us by the old reactionary state machinery. What
are we basically fighting for? We are fighting for a genuine people's democracy in the country. As you know, in the current political dispensation in Nepal the real state power vests in the feudal monarchy that
effectively controls the royal army, and the parliament is a mere showcase to embellish the hereditary autocracy. Besides, the self-proclaimed current "king" Gyanendra and his son Paras are known
criminalgangsters who have usurped the throne in a bloody coup d'tat against King Birendra last June 2001.
Anybody familiar with the Nepalese history will agree that the archaic institution of feudal monarchy is the root cause and bulwark of socio-economic backwardness, abysmal poverty, glaring inequality and
all-roundunderdevelopment plaguing the country, and its abolition is a minimum precondition for ushering in genuine democracy, both political and economic, in the country. When the English could wage war
against their monarchy in the 17th century, or the French in the 18th century, or other civilised peoples in the 19th and 20th century, why can't the Nepalese people do the same even in the 21st century?
And are we against tourism industry in general and foreign tourists in particular? Nothing could be farther
from the truth. We are all for making maximum utilisation of the natural and cultural resources for the rapid economic development and wellbeing of the country and the people. And given the exquisite natural
beauty and rich cultural heritage of the country, promotion of tourism ovbiously comes high in the priority list of the future economic development policy. As regards the false accusations of our xenophobic
inclinations and preference for a closed political system, this is another example of sinister disinformation campaigns deliberately launched by the counter-revolutionary forces. By ideological persuation we are for
the ultimate withering away of all national and state boundaries and creation of a classless and stateless
global community of people. Rather the fake votaries of "globalisation" of capital are mortally against the
globalisation of labour as well and hence, in essence, against genuine all-round globalisation. Foreign tourists are, therefore, most welcome in the country and will be so in future as well. However, we would like
to draw your attention to the grossly lopsided nature of current tourism industry in the country and would advise you to take special precautionary measures while travelling during the period of war.
Firstly, the tourism industry in Nepal is monopolised by the arch-reactionary Shah-Rana family and their close courtiers (for example, all the five-star hotels and most of the star hotels and travel business are
either owned or controlled by them), and most of the earnings from tourism is said to flow back to foreign countries. Therefore it is quite imperative to smash this anti-people and anti-national monopolistic
structure of the tourism industry and foreign tourists would be advised not to patronise such tourism services (e.g., hotels, airlines, buses etc.) particularly owned by the hated Shah-Rana families. Secondly,
during wartime the unassuming traveler can be caught between the crossfire of the contending armies. The foreign tourists are, therefore, kindly advised notto venture into areas where active fighting is going on.
They are most welcome into the revolutionary base areas, which are firmly under the control of the revolutionary forces.
And a few words to our honoured guests from neighbouring India. Though the reactionary state media cries hoarse about our so-called anti-India posture, you need not be unduly perturbed. Despite the
conspiracy of the ruling classes of both the countries to drive wedges between the people of Nepal and India, we are conscious of the common destiny of the two peoples and are for developing a close and
cordial relations between the two. You are, therefore, most welcome to visit Nepal. And finally, in view of the
5-day long "Nepal bandh" (i.e. general shutdown) from April 2 to April 6, 2002, and the subsequent
surcharged atmosphere in the aftermath, the foreign tourists are well advised to skip the tour itinerary, if any, for the said period. We deeply regret the inconveniences likely to cause to you all.
Wishing you all the best for a future visit to a democratic, progressive and prosperous people's republic of Nepal, Yours sincerely,Dr. Baburam Bhattarai,
Convenor, United Revolutionary People's Council, Nepal

Ein Bericht von BBC am 28.juli 2001 (zum Original Artikel mit Bildern)BBC South Asia correspondent Adam Mynott is one of the first Western journalists to travel to the mountainous Rolpa district of west
Nepal, a stronghold of the Maoist rebels, who told him of their ambitions for Nepal and the rest of the world.

The village of Holeri is high in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is where the Maoist insurgents in Nepal carried out their most successful attack against Nepali Government forces just over two weeks ago.
Seventy-two police officers were captured and one was killed. More than 50 policemen are still in Maoist custody. We were staying in the home of the police inspector in this village who was captured by the rebels
about two weeks ago. The Maoist leaders, who agreed that the BBC could visit one of their strongholds, were initially cautious but the local committee secretary, who calls himself Comrade Sizal, told me that he
wanted people to know about the Maoist rebellion and what they are fighting for.

Extremely hospitable The rebels fed us and looked after us extremely well. Speaking in a simple hut in
Holeri, surrounded by other party members, Comrade Sizal said the Maoists were not terrorists but freedom fighters. He said the current ceasefire between Nepali Government forces and the rebels was not
an obstacle to the Maoists' intention to take over the entire country. Indeed he said this would just be a precursor to spreading the Maoist movement throughout the world. When I accused Comrade Sizal of
being slightly over-ambitious, he countered that this was a movement on the move. Maoists currently control eight of more than 70 districts in Nepal. They are in effect running these areas, collecting taxes and
organising education and health care.

Mass gathering Earlier, Comrade Sizal addressed a mass meeting of more than 5,000 villagers who had
come from all over the countryside to listen to speeches about the Maoist rebellion and watch musical entertainment with a Maoist theme. It was an extraordinary sight as long lines of young and old, many clad
in brightly coloured local peasant costume, snaked their way up narrow mountain tracks towards the
meeting point. As they walked they chanted "Long live the revolution", "Long live Marxism", and "Down
with King Gyanendra's regime." It was clear that the sort of Maoist rhetoric that has died out around the world over the last 15 years is alive and well and apparently growing in strength here in Nepal.